Unmasked: Interim
by Nautica7mk
Summary: Companion piece to the series Unmasked. It didn’t take long for half the staff to speculate what was happening. Lois’s forced indifference and Perry White’s foul mood set the stage for a difficult week.


**Title**: Interim

**Author**: Nadia Mack

**Rating**: K+

**Disclaimer**: I Own Nothing (As Usual)

**Author's Notes**: One shot. This is a companion piece for "Unmasked" for those interested in seeing how things were before the ending of the story. I'd like to give another shout-out to fantastic Barbara. I'd dedicate a street in her name, but I don't know how I can do that.

* * *

Nobody was surprised when the news of Richard and Lois's failed courtship circulated around the office. It all started when the long-time engaged couple came into the office in separate elevators, one headed straight to his office and the other straight to her desk. A few minutes later, Richard White came in and out of his office carrying several empty boxes.

It didn't take long for half the staff to speculate what was happening. Lois's forced indifference and Perry White's foul mood set the stage for a difficult week as an announcement soon followed that his nephew was taking on a job overseas as an international correspondent for the Daily Planet.

All week, Lois could sense the hushed whispers. Only a complete moron wouldn't know exactly what they were talking about. All around her she could hear them. Clark, no doubt, heard every single one but he was much too sweet and proper to ever do anything overt about it.

"_What do you think happened?" _

"_I never thought she was good enough for him."_

_  
"You think it was about the – you know – other guy?"_

"_What was she thinking?"_

Crossing the room with her usual confidence, Lois Lane took her seat and began rummaging through her notes from the previous day and performed the menial task of putting it all in some coherent order so she could have it turned in for the paper's next run.

"How can you handle this day in and day out?" she asked, looking up from her desk as Clark stopped by holding a stack of files. As always, he acted the complete gentleman, letting her set the pace of their relationship, no matter how hard it might be to keep up pretenses.

"It was something I had to do growing up. As odd as it may sound, I've gotten kind of used to it."

Lois sighed, finding the thought depressing. "I'm this close to asking you to set someone's trashcan on fire," she said quietly. "At least that way, the alarms would go off and we could all call it a day."

Clark returned her idea with a wry smile. "I love you, but I'm not committing arson so you can take a day off."

She lowered her head so her face was hidden behind her computer screen. His words had made her blush and she didn't want to appear flushed around her co-workers, and to some extent, him as well. Hearing him openly say the phrase 'I love you' made her happy, and more than a little shy, despite the fact that she returned the sentiments wholeheartedly.

"Are you coming over tonight?"

Clark pushed his thick rimmed glasses up his nose and nodded enthusiastically. "Of course," then he paused to think, "Italian?"

"Like I could ever say no to that," Lois certified.

For many days now, Clark had been coming over to join her and Jason for dinner. Most of the time, Lois would watch him perform the task of chopping up vegetables and making something magical from something utterly mundane found in her kitchen cabinets. Jason on the other hand loved to join him, often helping him by peeling tomatoes and stirring.

Unable to help with whatever had to do with cooking, Lois stayed back and simply set the table. It was nice, comfortable, and it made the transition of having Clark become a constant in Jason's life far easier.

Richard, of course, still remained a fixture in their son's life, often calling him daily right before bed. Clark never minded, and he too, encouraged Richard to stay in touch. He knew what it was like to be influenced by two fathers, and he would never wish for Richard to stay away.

"Lois?"

"Huh?" She looked up at Clark, her mind going over the newest memories of her time with the mild-mannered superhero farmboy. "Sorry, I was just thinking about tonight."

"Is it still all right? We can do it tomorrow if you'd like."

"No," she shook her head adamantly. "It's nice, and besides, I'm learning so much from you."

Clark's brows furrowed. "You barely go near the stove."

"What?" she shrugged and then defended herself, "I could learn a lot just by watching."

"While working in front of your laptop?"

"I'm multi-tasking."

Clark grinned, and then raised his hands in defeat. "Fair enough. Case closed."

"I thought so," Lois said triumphantly.

Meanwhile, Cat Grant from the society section watched the two reporters with an eagle's eye. She turned to her co-worker, Sheryl, and pointed out, "Look at her, barely cleaned her hands of poor Richie–"

"Richard," Sheryl corrected.

"Same thing. And now she's clawing her way in on poor unsuspecting mild-mannered Kent."

Sheryl tilted her head, looking at the two reporters as well and trying to see what Cat was seeing, but it wasn't working.

"I don't see it."

Cat scoffed. "Just look. It'll only be a matter of time until she breaks his heart. She strung Richie–"

"Richard."

"Whatever! Bottom line, she's going to break his heart."

"I don't know; she looks pretty happy."

"You don't just break up with a guy after being together for five years and then turn around and get comfy with sweet and innocent Clark Kent. Maybe that's why she's giving him so much attention lately, he's too easy."

"I don't think so."

Cat glared at Sheryl. "Whose friend are you anyway?"

"Yours?" Sheryl answered with little sincerity. "But don't you think they look cute together? Richard was great and all, but he never quite made her smile like that."

Cat leaned forward and squinted her eyes. "Like what?"

"You know, she just looks happier."

Cat rolled her eyes. "Kent's always had a crush on her, so maybe she finally decided to give the dork a try. Then I'm betting that she dumps him before the month is over. She's not meant for long-term relationships. Mark my words. As long as she holds a torch for Superman, no other man in this world will compare."

"I don't know, Cat. I think they have a history."

Cat raised her eyes curiously. "History?" The thought of it was too much not to talk about. "Do tell."

"Have you noticed how close little Jason and Clark are? Sometimes I wonder if I'm looking at a miniature Kent."

Cat looked at Sheryl like she was crazy. "You can't honestly believe that Jason's really Clark's kid." Cat looked at Lois and Clark across the room and saw Clark laughing about something Lois must've said, and it made her think how his laughter and smile reminded her of Lois's precious little boy. Everything suddenly clicked. "Well, look at that."

"What?"

"You may be onto something."

"You're not going to print that theory are you?"

Cat thought about it for a moment but decided against it, for now. "No, I may not like Lois, but I'm not the wicked witch of the west. It won't stop me from throwing it in their faces though."

"We're not even positive that there's any connection."

Clark sighed as he caught bits and pieces of the ladies' discussion. Lois looked at him in concern.

"Do you have to… you know…" she did a flying motion with her hand.

Clark shook his head. "No. It's something more serious," he replied with a sigh. "We've got a couple of co-workers talking about us."

Lois groaned. "Tell me it's not Cat. Tell me it's not Cat." Clark threw her an apologetic look and she groaned some more. "That's just… great." She puts on a brave face. "What are they saying?"

Reluctantly, Clark answered, "They think that maybe Jason's mine."

Lois's eyes nearly left her sockets. "They what? Why would they think that?"

Clark didn't like the gossip that was circulating any more than she did but he had to chuckle at her reaction. "Maybe because it's true."

"I know that," Lois glared at him. "But they don't know that."

Meanwhile, in Perry's office, just like Cat and Sheryl, Richard watched the two closely but for entirely different reasons. His emotions moved in all directions. For some time now, he found himself inadvertently staring at the couple in a vain attempt to find some fault in their blossoming relationship.

He wasn't a vindictive man. He had a lot of respect for Clark professionally and to some degree that he'd allow even himself to see, personally. But witnessing his former fiancée with the man who, for all intents and purposes, she should've been with in the first place didn't make things easier. Suddenly, he felt a warm hand on top of his shoulder.

Richard looked over to his uncle Perry and gave him a forced smile.

"You ready to talk about it now?" Perry asked patiently.

He glanced back at Lois and Clark briefly before giving Perry his undivided attention. "It just needs a little getting used to."

"I could make a few calls – make it permanent if you want if being here is too hard."

Richard shook his head vehemently. "No, I can't do that. I'm not going to run from this. It may have taken me this long to face the truth, but I know there was always a part of me that knew that Lois wasn't mine."

"You can be angry, you know."

"I know."

"Is there anything going on you want me to know about?"

"It's probably not my place to tell, but I feel like I need to tell you this before they do."

Perry guided him to a chair as he moved around the desk to sit as well. "What do you mean?"

"It's about Jason."

The older man's face immediately softened at the mention of the boy who had a special place in his heart. "Is everything all right with him?"

"Yeah," Richard adjusted himself on the chair and then proceeded. "Lois said that I'm always welcome to see Jason anytime, and Clark agrees."

Perry frowned. "Why does Kent have a say whether or not you can see your son?"

Richard realized too late that the particulars of the break-up between him and Lois were lost on his uncle. After the first year of Superman's absence, and a few months after Jason was born, they both decided to let everyone else believe that Jason was his. Four years after that, he believed he would always be Jason's father but when Superman did finally return, old feelings resurfaced and the truth needed to be faced.

Now it was left for all three of them to pick up the pieces.

"Uncle Perry," Richard began with a deep breath, "I'm not Jason's biological father."

Perry couldn't quite process the revelation fast enough. "What?"

Richard's eyes fell to the ground and he continued softly. "I'm not his biological father," and with a lot more strength than he expected he added, "Clark is."

Perry's jaw fell as he took his nephew's words in. He looked out of his office and immediately spotted Kent, his emotions torn between anger at the pain his presence had inflicted in his nephew's life and respect for the great reporter that Clark was and could be. He resigned himself to simply leaning back in his chair, releasing a sigh loud enough that anyone could hear if they were paying attention.

"Clark?"

Richard nodded in confirmation. "Don't be too angry with him, he didn't know about Lois and Jason until after he got back."

Perry relaxed a little bit at the knowledge that Clark Kent hadn't left Lois high and dry after getting her pregnant. _Lois and Clark though_. The thought of them together had crossed his mind after watching the two work together for so long, but to actually have it really happen, right under his nose, all the while he never had a clue it was there. It was mind-boggling.

"How do you feel about that?" Richard asked, wondering what was going on in his uncle's mind.

"Man," was Perry's ineloquent reply. "I didn't really see that coming."

"Tell me about it," Richard agreed. He got up to leave. "Anyway, thanks for listening. I should get going though. I'm picking up Jason from school tonight. We're going to hang out a bit before dinner."

"That's good," Perry said before giving his nephew an uncharacteristic hug. It wasn't so much the hug itself rather than the fact that he did it during work hours. "Take it easy, son."

"I will."

Once Richard exited the office, Perry took one more look toward his two top reporters and let out a small disbelieving smile.

"I'll be damned."

**The End**


End file.
